Question about sets & reps
 

I have a question for anybody who might be able to shed some light on this for me.

My Question is- When lifting weights is it better to do more sets with fewer reps or is it better to do fewer sets with more reps? For example- Say I do 45 Seated Dunmbbell Curls. Is it better to do 3 set of 15 reps or is it better to do 9 sets of 5 reps? Hope that makes sence?

Thank you for any/all help!

Hi Melissa! The answer all depends on what your goals are. :) If your goal is power and building huge muscles, then you'd go with lots of heavy sets of low reps. If your goal is strength and endurance (which is what most women are after), you'd go with higher reps and fewer sets.

The difference is the amount of weight that you're lifting. If you're doing low-rep sets - like five reps - you can lift a much heavier weight than you could if you were doing more reps. That's why the guys who are training for size do lots of sets with high weights, but they only can lift them a few times per set. If you're using a lighter weight, then you can do more reps before you hit muscle fatigue or failure. Like I said, it all depends on what your goals are - neither way is 'better'.

My recommendation for someone who's new to weights is to stay in the 12 - 15 rep range (per set) to build some strength and endurance. That means you pick a weight that will let you lift it 12 times - but it's getting very difficult somewhere in the 12 - 15 range. If you can get to 15 and keep going, it's too light. If you picked a weight and fail at 6, it's too heavy. It's a trial and error process and it's helpful to use a little notebook to keep track of the right weights for you.

Once you've been lifting for a few months, then it's time to progress to a slightly lower rep range of 8 - 12 reps per set. It's the same deal with the weight: pick a weight that makes you very fatigued or fail somewhere between 8 and 12 reps. If you get to 12 and can keep going, then it's time to increase the weight.

Once you've figured out the number of reps per set, the number of sets that you do depends a lot on the kind of workout that you're doing. If you're doing a full-body workout, you'd probably do two or three sets of each exercise. If you're focusing on one or two muscle groups per workout, then you might do more sets (like four or five) of each exercise.

I hope this wasn't too confusing! Please ask questions if I didn't explain it very well. :D

Meg,

Do you lift for power and huge muscles or for strength and endurance?

Cutting body fat and lifting for strength and endurance will lead to a well sculpted form (not just thin). Correct?

Thanks!

~Julie

Julie - I work in the 8 - 12 rep range, never lower. My goal is strong, lean muscles (that burn lots of calories! :D ) I'm definitely not trying to be a powerlifter or to get bigger, bulkier muscles, which is what a lower rep, higher weight lifting scheme is designed to achieve.

You hit the nail on the head! I truly believe that's the winning formula. :)

I would say that the general trend is that more TUT (time under tension)+excess calories=bigger muscles.

High intensity+low reps+excess calories=more strength, and initially more size if you are eating enough.

High intensity+low reps+limited calories=more strength without size increases.


Bodybuilders tend to train with lots of reps and sets (and consume LOTS of protein) to build big muscles whereas powerlifters do heavy singles and triples to build strength. Many PL'ers also mix in some higher volume work to build muscle size and increase their overall strength potential.

If you want to get really strong without getting big, low rep training can be very useful. I tend to favor 5x5 schemes with moderate intensity (~80-85% 1RM) in an attempt to build size and strength.

Meg-
Thank you so much for the info! Very Helpful! My current goal is to build strength and endurance so I'm gonna stay at my higher reps/fewer sets for now. And then a little later down the line, decrease the reps and add more sets just like you said. Thanks again!
Melissa